Paulinho headed for the exit

Cape Town - Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Paulinho is being lined up for a January move back to Brazil according to reports.

Sao Paulo and Corinthians are interested in ending the Brazilian's stay in London according to the Mirror.

The midfielder is set to start for Spurs this season and reports suggest manager Mauricio Pochettino will be willing to allow the 26-year-old to leave White Hart Lane.

Paulinho signed for Tottenham Hotspur, from Corinthians, in July 2013 for a fee in the region of £17 million.

Corinthians have not ruled out bringing their former star back to the club.

The Brazilian club's sporting director Edu Gaspar said: “The door is open for Paulinho as he is still very popular here. I don’t think the financial package would be an issue.”

Deemed surplus to requirements at Spurs, Paulinho does possess a wealth of experience and has been capped over 30 times for the Brazil national team.